Retired PCC instructor describes life under a communist regime

Natalie Soto
Feature Editor
pec G
V '
(M^e^
Once known as a free country
of rhythm and great food, Cuba is
now a land of oppression, execution, and persecution. When
Americans think of Communism
they think of Sen. Joseph McCarthy
and his black list, but when Cubans
think of Communism they think of
Fidel Castro and his dictatorship.
In her new book titled "The
Island of Cork," Olga Ots describes
what her life was like under Batista
and later under Castro.
"This journal was dedicated to
the many Cubans who are confined
in their country-island under the
oppression of a suffocating regime
that enslaves them to possibly the
utmost degree known to the free
world; and to all who have or are
suffering imprisonment and, in
many instances are confined to
overcrowded cells, many without
sanitary facilities at all." Ots said.
She also dedicated this journal to
all the freedom-loving Cubans
who are suffering under the most
terrible type of regime based on
Belmont, N.C. Ots also holds a
bachelor's and master's degree
from Cal State, Los Angeles. t
After returning to Cuba, she
went
i
false patriotism.
A retired instructor from PCC,
where she taught secretarial sciences, Ots was born in Havana,
Cuba. She completed her secondary
education in Havana and then
came to the United States to pursue
an A.A in secretarial science at
Sacred Heart Junior College in
through very dramatic experiences
during Batista's dictatorship and
the first two years of Castro. Ots
wrote this journal some time ago
while in the United States. Seeing
the great lack of knowledge that
existed in this country motivated
her to write this tell-all book titled
"The Island of Cork" because after
having undergone so much trauma
and political upheaval the island of
Cuba still floats.
It was upon her return visit to
Cuba in 2002 after 41 years of
absence that she decided to publish
this journal. What she found upon
her return was a country that had
been frozen in 1959 and had deteriorated since. "Human rights in
Cuba are nonexistent, and native
Cubans are treated as slaves in their
own country," Ots said.
Ots now resides in California
with her husband, but most of their
family still remains in Cuba. "The
Island of Cork" is available at most
major book stores, and a copy will
be soon donated by Ots to the campus library.

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

Natalie Soto
Feature Editor
pec G
V '
(M^e^
Once known as a free country
of rhythm and great food, Cuba is
now a land of oppression, execution, and persecution. When
Americans think of Communism
they think of Sen. Joseph McCarthy
and his black list, but when Cubans
think of Communism they think of
Fidel Castro and his dictatorship.
In her new book titled "The
Island of Cork," Olga Ots describes
what her life was like under Batista
and later under Castro.
"This journal was dedicated to
the many Cubans who are confined
in their country-island under the
oppression of a suffocating regime
that enslaves them to possibly the
utmost degree known to the free
world; and to all who have or are
suffering imprisonment and, in
many instances are confined to
overcrowded cells, many without
sanitary facilities at all." Ots said.
She also dedicated this journal to
all the freedom-loving Cubans
who are suffering under the most
terrible type of regime based on
Belmont, N.C. Ots also holds a
bachelor's and master's degree
from Cal State, Los Angeles. t
After returning to Cuba, she
went
i
false patriotism.
A retired instructor from PCC,
where she taught secretarial sciences, Ots was born in Havana,
Cuba. She completed her secondary
education in Havana and then
came to the United States to pursue
an A.A in secretarial science at
Sacred Heart Junior College in
through very dramatic experiences
during Batista's dictatorship and
the first two years of Castro. Ots
wrote this journal some time ago
while in the United States. Seeing
the great lack of knowledge that
existed in this country motivated
her to write this tell-all book titled
"The Island of Cork" because after
having undergone so much trauma
and political upheaval the island of
Cuba still floats.
It was upon her return visit to
Cuba in 2002 after 41 years of
absence that she decided to publish
this journal. What she found upon
her return was a country that had
been frozen in 1959 and had deteriorated since. "Human rights in
Cuba are nonexistent, and native
Cubans are treated as slaves in their
own country," Ots said.
Ots now resides in California
with her husband, but most of their
family still remains in Cuba. "The
Island of Cork" is available at most
major book stores, and a copy will
be soon donated by Ots to the campus library.

Rights Statement

Images are for personal research, scholarly and educational purposes. Contact Shatford Library at archives@pasadena.edu for information about the reproduction of images. The Library assumes no responsibility for the improper use of any image from the Archives.